The Dancer and the Ghost
by InuKurama
Summary: Christine has left the Opera house, and her friend Alisha takes her place. Will Alisha also take Christines place in the Phantoms heart?
1. The Phantom of the Opera

Phantom of the Opera 

Alisha is a new ballerina to the Opera Populair yet has heard enough about the strange goings on of the House. Her friend, Christine, is at the center of the wild rumors circulating around the city. Alisha has heard the horror stories surrounding the Opera Ghost, but she believes there is good in him, can she prove everyone, and eventually herself that that faith is true?

"On the wall, girls. Come on. Stretch yourselves." Mmd. Giry walked past the ballerinas correcting their stances and scolding one or two for goofing off. "Another second of this and I might just fall apart." Joked one. The petite blond next to her, also known as Meg Giry, giggled, drawing her mothers disapproving glare. Meg looked back at her friend quickly before focusing straight ahead again. "Your going to get us in trouble, Alisha. With all your troublemaking."

"As I remember it, you were right there with me, causing the same trouble." Meg grinned as she remembered their last night pranks on M. Firmont and M. Andre. After Christine had gone prima dona, Alisha had found that Meg was especially lonely, so because it could no longer be the three of them, they caused extra trouble in Christines name. Mmd. Giry slammed her cane on the bar just in front of Alisha's hand. "Are you a ballerina Alisha? Then practice!" Alisha and Meg settled down after that and continued their parctices.

"Oh. My feet." Alisha groaned as she slipped off her slippers and rubbed her feet. Sitting alone in her room, she grabbed her candle and threw on a thin chemise. She cautiously peeked out her door and slipped out. Walking silently through the halls till she reached the back stage. Setting the candle down on the front of the stage and stepped up to the edge. She breathed in-

"In sleep he sang to me

in dreams he came

that voice which calls to me

and speaks my name…"

She smiled and looked around, believing no one was there she breathed again.

"Think of me

think of me fondly

when we've said goodbye

remember me

once in a while

please promise me you'll try

when you find that once again you long

to take your heart back and be free

please promise me that sometimes you will think of me?" Her voice had built up in awe as she felt the sensation of elation as the music flowed through her. When a hand suddenly wrapped itself around her throat and waist. "Foolish child." The cold voice and sudden handling made her gasp as she was suddenly whipped around. There before her stood the man of legend and fear. The Phantom of the Opera.


	2. The rooftop

POTO Chappy 2

"You think your rather brilliant don't you?" He said spitefully to her. "Coming to my stage, singing- , Ugh, just get out of my sight. I never want to hear you sing again, do you understand me?" He let go of her and shoved her back and turned away. "Wait." He looked over his shoulder. "I… I'm sorry Monsieur. I love to sing and Christine-" His hand over her mouth silenced her. "Never speak that name again." He snarled at her inches from her face.

She nodded and he let go, stepping back again. "Your lucky I let you live." She nodded again. "Monsieur, I apologize. Its just that I've wanted to speak with you ever since Chr- I mean since I heard about you… from others." She finished lamely.

"Oh yes, to see the Devils Child. Well now that you have seen, what are you going to do? Run to the rest of the opera and tell of how frightening he was? How hideous? How disgus-" This time he was cut off as she ran up to him and covered his mouth. His eyes widened in shock. "NO! Not at all! I- I don't think your horrendous. Yes you frightened me, but only because you shocked me. I respect you. Your abilities. Your power. You are the Phantom of the Opera. But you are also… human." She removed her hand and instead moved it to his masked cheek and caressed it. "I believe we all hide behind masks. Some more figuratively than others." She finished with a small smile.

With her warm hand on his cool mask he closed his eyes. This touch… how he had missed it. The times when Christine had touched him as such. Christine. This impudent girl was NOT Christine. He opened his eyes angrily and shoved her away. "Your impudence is beyond conceivable. If I ever see you again, I will kill you." With that he diassapeared into the darkness. Alicia fell to her knees and wept.

True to her word, she never spoke of her encounter with the Phantom. In fact she hardly spoke at all. Nor did she really smile either. Meg knew something was wrong but Alicia never left a clue as to what. So Meg did the only thing she knew to do. "Alicia, I have a surprise for you." Meg walked up to Alicia who was currently seated with her back to a large mirror in the dance hall. Alicia looked up as a woman in a white gown walked in. Christine De Chagny had returned to the Opera Populaire.

Instantly Alicia went rigid with fear. The Phantom would not appreciate this one bit. She looked at Christine for a second before standing quickly and saying "You must leave, as soon as possible, please, for your own safety." Then running out of the room she called out behind her, "I'm sorry Christine."

She ran till she crashed out onto the roof. She fell at the feet of a rearing horse and sobbed. She cried for the pain the Phantom had lived with his whole life. She cried for all the people who had broken hearts. She cried for her own shattered soul. "This is to much. This pain. I thought I had found love once. Until he left with another woman. Richer and prettier he said. I was beaten and left for dead. Is this all this world is? All that is to be expected? WHAT IS THERE?" She cried harder on her knees as the cold wind started biting her bare arms. "I only wanted to help him. Show him that there are people who care. I wanted to be there for him, but who will be there for me? When I fall who will pick me up?" She whispered softly to the falling snow. She shivered. "Everday, I feel nothing but the pain that man left on my heart. And I put on my mask. A smile. A laugh. All of it a lie. Except for when I sing. That is my onoly moment of truth. But who will ever hear it? Who will ever care?" She curled into a tighter ball as the wind whipped harder and she continued to sob. Suddenly warmth enveloped her. She looked up. In her blurry haze she say black, but then clearly, a white half face mask. Then everything was dark.


	3. The confession and good excuse

POTO Chappy 3

"Mm." Chocolate eyes fluttered open meeting the brown ceiling typical of the opera house rooms. Alicia lifter her hand to her forehead and felt a warm, wet substance, she pulled off a face cloth and looked at it for a moment before she remembered what had happened. Was it only last night? How long had she been out? Who had helped her? Her eyes suddenly swept over the room and near the door met with a figure cloaked in black. He was studying her as she studied him. She made to sit up but he was suddenly beside her pushing her shoulder back down. "You helped me, didn't you?" The Phantom merely looked away. "Thank you, for saving my life." She reached out and took his hand and grasped it. "Thank you so much." He looked at her then looked down. "I only did because your words had wisdom to them. Who spoke them?" He mumbled softly. "My mother. She was my idol! She was one of the smartest people I have ever met!" She let go of the gloved hand and rolled over, grabbing a picture next to her bed. She shoved the picture at him. "Her name was Elenna. She was a Spaniard." The Phantom took the framed, fading photo and looked at it intently. He turned away from Alicia as if to hide his interest. 'She looks like her mother. Her beauty is uncomparable.' He turned back and handed the photo back silently. Alicia hugged it to her chest when it hit her… she was no longer in the dress she had been in earlier! "Monsieur? Did you… change my clothes?" At this the Phantom looked away quickly. "I had no choice. I wouldn't have done it otherwise, but you were getting hypothermia. I had to remove your wet clothing. You had foolishly allowed yourself to wander into a freezing snow with nothing to protect yourself."

"Why did you follow me?"

"What are you talking about? I was already up there. You ran right past me. I was about to leave you to your fate when I heard you scream."

"Oh. So you heard what I said afterwards then, I assume."

"About me? Yes."

"I'm sorry. I just… wanted to… help. I guess." The pain in her words made the Phantom uncomfortable so her changed the subject. "Who was the boy you spoke about?" 'Great change in tact, fool!' He scolded himself. Alicia looked at him quizzicly then smiled softly. "A boy from the village I was born in. He was three years older than I. I thought it was love. He said we would marry, even bought an pre-engagement gift of sorts. My parents disapproved of course. But we didn't care. Or at least, I didn't. No, he met another woman, richer and more handsome. So I was left. Not before he beat me for- never mind. But he left me. My family perished shortly thereafter when some people from the neighboring village attacked in desperation for food. I was in the meadow by our home at the time. SO I alone escaped." Tears trickled down her face. "My first love left me, then my family. Then Christine. The only people who had ever cared for me. When I heard about you from her, I knew there was something great about you. SO I still had hope, hope that if she could find love, maybe I could too, and maybe even you. But all I receive is rejection. And the pain weighed down on me. That is why I was on the roof that night. Christine returned to see me, but all I could think about was you, how you would feel to see her again. Because I know that I could never bear to see Jac's face again and not die again." She sniffled and looked up at the Phantom. His face was set as stone, but his eyes held an emotion. The slightest, was it fear, or appreciation? But just as quickly, it was extinguished as he spoke. "What I feel is of no concern to you. What Christine did to me is none of your concern. I am the Angel of death. Nobody wishes for me to exist. So I do not."

"If I didn't wish for you to exist, would I really waste my time to talk to you?" The Phantom looked at her sharply but she continued. "The wisdom you heard me utter was indeed my mothers, but the words were all mine. Nobody should have to suffer. Even if they are dead. Because if they are suffering, then they are still alive. Ice always melts. And snow always becomes spring." The Phantom looked at her in wonder. Nobody had ever talked with him like this. Or understood how he felt. Now here he was with a child and she was telling him things he had denied for so long, and it was ok. A sudden knocking on the door startled them both. "Alicia?" Meg called through the door. "Just a moment please!" She called back. She looked at the Phantom. "Your secret is still safe with me." He took her hand and kissed the back of it and walked to the full length mirror. "Two things. I heard what you said to Christine and we have both been victims to false love. Second- next time I will not save you." The smirked at each other as he disappeared and Alicia jumped out of bed, the world tilting for a moment and walked to the door. She rested upon it for a moment and cast a glance at the mirror. "I believe a good excuse is in order." She said softly.


End file.
